Born To Be Wild
by Aunt Bran
Summary: I love this picture of Gil Birmingham, so I had to write a story around it. It features Sarah and Billy (she's alive and he walks!), Sue and Charlie, Leah and Jacob, Sam and Emily, and Seth. Just a fun little one-shot with a bit of angst thrown in for good measure. Hope you enjoy it!


Jacob came running in answer to his father's shout and found Billy kneeling over a dead eight-point buck. Billy's eyes were closed, and his face tilted up toward the sky. Jacob knew his dad was thanking the deer's spirit for providing food for his family and pledging never to kill a noble animal for any other reason. From the time Jacob learned to shoot an arrow as a child, he had been schooled in the Quileute ways of hunting.

"He's a beauty, Dad," Jake grinned, his hand on Billy's shoulder. "And it was a clean shot." Jacob carefully removed the arrow from the deer, noting that it had penetrated the heart and so killed the buck instantly.

Sarah met them outside as they approached the house carrying the field-dressed animal. Modern freezers made preserving the meat much easier these days, but processing an entire deer of this size was still a big project and took them several hours. While Sarah stowed the last of the meat in the freezer, Jacob started a fire in the barbeque pit to cook the choicest steaks.

"Looks like we're set for the winter, Billy," Sarah commented as she brought out plates and utensils to the picnic table in the yard. She set down the cutlery and perched on the bench beside her husband. His hair was tied back with a leather thong, and she kissed his neck. "I've been thinking about dyeing my hair," she said softly. "What do you think?"

Billy frowned. "Why would you do that, Sarah?" His hands, tanned and callused from a lifetime of hard work, were gentle on her face. "You're beautiful just the way you are." He kissed the tiny smile lines next to her mouth before kissing her lips softly.

Sarah laughed. "Love really is blind, isn't it? Honey, I'm beginning to look more like your mother than your wife. You haven't aged at all in the last twenty years, and I…" she smiled at him. "I have." He literally hadn't noticed the grey strands nestled among her black tresses; the eyes of love ignored such insignificant details.

Billy wrapped his arms around her waist. "Let me point out the flaws in your reasoning, my dear wife. First of all, you are still the most beautiful, desirable woman I have ever met." She opened her mouth to comment, but he stopped her with a kiss, then continued. "I don't care what you look like to anyone else. You're my Sarah - my perfect partner."

Sarah kissed him. "So in other words, you don't want me spending money on hair dye?" She grinned and kissed his shoulder, chuckling as she headed back to the house for potato salad and condiments.

"Awww, would you two cut it out?" Jacob shook his head with a smile as he came out of the house, his hands full of lemonade, glasses, and paper napkins.

Billy rose as soon as the venison steaks and Sarah's potato salad were just a pleasant memory. "Sorry, baby, but I'm scheduled to patrol for a few hours. Will you be up?"

Sarah smiled at her husband. "Of course. I'll clean up here and watch some TV while I'm waiting. I believe sonny boy has a date."

"Yeah, I do, Mom. Do you mind if I run off too?"

"Course not, honey - have a nice time. And say hi to Leah for us." After years of loneliness, Jake and Leah's friendship had recently blossomed into something new and exciting. They were in the process of transitioning from friends to lovers, and it just - well, it made sense. When they were together, their newfound happiness was contagious.

As chief of his people, Billy had been the first to phase into a giant wolf, some twenty years earlier. The change was precipitated by the appearance of the Cullens, who had proven to be decent neighbors in spite of the alarms raised by their arrival in the next town. Sarah set down her napkin and stood with Billy. "Mind if I come along?"

He grinned and shook his head. Sarah followed him into the edge of the forest, to a familiar spot where a large gray boulder provided a screen from anyone who might be wandering in the quiet neighborhood. He stripped his tee shirt off over his head and handed it to Sarah, who folded it carefully. She accepted each item of clothing until he stood before her, naked and magnificent. "I'll see you in a few hours, babe," he murmured, kissing her before striding into the tall grass. She admired the familiar view as he walked away, his slim hips and trim waist offset by a heavily muscled torso and limbs.

He turned to her, and the air around him shimmered. She always tried to catch the exact instant that he transformed from man to wolf, but her human eyes were never quick enough. The rust-colored wolf sprang forth, larger than life, and walked back toward her, lowering its shaggy head. She reached up with both hands and caressed the incredible animal, laying her cheek against his snout and whispering "Love you."

The golden eyes stared into hers for a long moment. Then the wolf's long pink tongue lapped the side of her face, dripping saliva. She rubbed at it with her sleeve. "Dammit, Billy, you got me all wet!" But she was laughing as he loped away, his tail swishing sassily as he disappeared into the darkening forest.

In spite of her good intentions, Sarah fell asleep reading. The book was lying across her chest when she heard the screen door squeak just after midnight. Billy walked into the living room, completely naked. "I think someone forgot to leave my clothes outside...again."

Sarah tried not to smile. "Oh? Silly me. I'm sorry, honey. But I have to admit…" she shook her head. "You're mighty easy on the eyes in your birthday suit."

Billy wrapped his arms around her and laughed. "You mark my words, Sarah Black. One of these days you'll have company when you pull this trick on me - and it's you who will be embarrassed."

She laughed with him. "I guess I'll just take my chances. And enjoy the view in the meantime. Yikes!" He scooped her up in his arms and whisked her up the stairs to their bedroom.

Early the next morning, sun was streaming into the room and Sarah ducked under her pillow. "Too early! I need a little more sleep!"

"Oh no you don't," Billy chuckled. "You keep me up till all hours of the night, and then you want to sleep in!" He grabbed the pillow and yanked down the covers. Sarah yawned and stretched, her naked body a little softer, a little rounder than it had once been.

"Need a shower," she mumbled as she dragged herself into their bathroom. Fifteen minutes later, she emerged wrapped in a towel. "Does this mean I'm going with you?" She kissed his nose as he sat on the edge of the bed pulling on his boots.

"Well, I was hoping you would. It's not as much fun without you."

"Are any of the other women going?"

"Jake says Leah's coming. She's riding her own bike. And I think Emily's coming with Sam. You know, Jake has offered to fix up a bike for you."

Sarah shook her head. "Not interested. I much prefer to ride with my arms around you. Let all the other women know you're not available." She grinned, pulling on a long sleeved turtleneck sweater. "Want me to braid your hair so it won't get all windblown?" He nodded, smiling. He was perfectly capable of braiding his own hair and had been doing so for many years, but he much preferred her gentle touch on his scalp. And she loved his soft, thick hair. She often finished off his braid with a feather, but it would never stay put when he rode the Harley hard. And that was the only way Billy rode.

Sarah was just finishing his braid when they heard the impatient rumble of Jacob's Harley in the driveway. Leah's Ducati had a different pitch, and it was a bit quieter. Sam's Honda Goldwing was the luxury ride he used for himself and Emily, complete with heat and headsets for communicating. Its idle was more of a purr than a snarl. Seth sneered at the elegant machine, insisting that he'd "rather have a sister in a whorehouse than a brother on a Honda." Seth's Harley was a patchwork quilt of parts that Jacob had expertly strung together for him. It was the fastest one of the bunch.

Billy and Sarah walked out the door, a backpack slung over his shoulder. Leah hollered to him, "Hey Billy! How can you tell a happy biker?"

He chuckled and tossed back, "By the bugs on his teeth, Leah! Everybody knows that!" He handed the metallic blue helmet to Sarah while he fetched his Harley from the garage. It was an impressive machine, with more sparkling chrome than blue paint. They pulled out onto the road in a single file, headed for the highway that ran along the coast.

Sarah settled comfortably into the seat behind Billy. She loved to ride this way, her arms wrapped securely around her husband and the world flashing by at 60 or 70 miles per hour. They stopped every couple of hours to stretch their legs and provide bathroom breaks for anyone who needed them.

They traveled north along 101 past the Makah reservation, then turned east toward Port Angeles, where they stopped for lunch at a small Italian restaurant. Spirits were high, and the waitress was amused by the amount of food the group consumed.

"Where are we headed?" Leah asked Sam, who had taken the lead when they left LaPush.

"There's a waterfall I found on patrol one day. Figured it would make a nice ride and you'd all enjoy it - maybe even take a dip." He grinned at Emily.

Emily shivered. "Today? You people are nuts!" But she smiled and squeezed Sam's hand.

Another hour brought them to the turnoff from the main road. They traveled slowly up a logging path until the vegetation closed in and they had to park the bikes. "Come on, it's not much farther." Sarah grabbed her backpack and followed as Sam urged them on through the thick underbrush. Soon the shifters could hear the water, and they followed the sound.

"Damn!" Leah breathed as she stepped out into the clearing. The waterfall was thundering so loudly that Jacob, holding her hand, was the only one of the group who heard her. One by one, as they left the cover of the trees, they stood and stared in awe at the rushing water and the crystal clear pool at the base. Sarah took a seat in the shade and withdrew a sketch pad from the pack. She began drawing, frowning in concentration.

Jacob tossed his clothing aside until he was down to his boxers, then dived cleanly into the water. He surfaced near the center and shook his head, crystal droplets flying around him. "Come on in, guys! It's cool but refreshing!"

Leah shrugged and stripped down to her Victoria's Secret undies, powder blue and lacy. She dived in, quickly followed by Seth. Billy smiled and wandered over to Sarah, sitting next to her and peeking over her shoulder.

"That's beautiful, hon," he observed, then added. "She's beautiful." The charcoal drawing captured Leah's grace as she stood poised on the rock, her leg muscles tensed just before leaping into the water. The Leah on the page, however, was completely nude. "Not sure she'll appreciate your artistic license, babe," he added with a chuckle, "but that underwear doesn't leave much to the imagination."

Sarah smiled, her eyes never leaving the drawing. "That girl is poetry in motion. I love to draw her."

Billy kissed the top of Sarah's head. "You're very talented, my dear. I suspect our son would love this one." He tapped the pad gently.

Another splash drew their attention to the water, where Sam had recently joined the party. Emily drifted back toward Sarah and Billy. She smiled at them. "I'll keep Sarah company if you want to go in, Billy."

He smiled and shook his head. "Thanks, Emily, but I'm happy right here. Come, sit." He patted the ground beside him and Emily settled in and watched the pack members cavorting in the chilly water. Leah was treading water, laughing with Seth, when she suddenly disappeared. She surfaced a moment later, coughing, and looked around, her focus on Jacob - who was swimming quickly away from the group.

Leah's strokes were long and strong, and it didn't help Jacob's cause that he was laughing too hard to have any real hope of escape. Leah dived, a Great White intent on her prey as she quickly closed the distance between them. Jacob yelped just before he disappeared, and a long minute later Leah surfaced, triumphantly waving Jacob's soggy boxers in the air.

The shifters dried quickly, steam rising from their damp bodies as the water droplets evaporated. They dressed and gathered in the shade as Sarah packed up her drawing supplies. "Aren't you going to show us, Mom?" Jacob asked.

Sarah shook her head. "Not this time, Jake. I have to show them to Leah first."

Leah grinned at Jacob and gave him an affectionate peck on the lips. "Your mom's my kinda people," she added.

"Hmph," he grumbled. "I always thought she was my kinda people."

As the sun began to sink low in the sky, they headed back to the bikes. They rode in single file until they got back to LaPush, where Sam and Emily peeled off first and headed toward their house, then Jacob followed Leah and Seth toward the Clearwater place. Billy paused in the driveway to let Sarah off, then he drove his bike into the garage and parked it. She waited for him and they walked into the house together.

"Smells good in here, babe. What's cooking?" Billy sniffed appreciatively as they entered the warm kitchen.

"I put a roast in the crockpot before we left," Sarah replied. "I figured I wouldn't feel like cooking after spending the day outside. All I have to do is thicken the gravy and it's ready to go."

Billy grinned and started setting the table. "That's why I married you, you know. For your brains."

Sarah laughed, shaking a jar of cornstarch and water. "Really? I could swear you told me yesterday it was for my looks."

Billy walked up behind her, circling her waist with his arms and nuzzling her neck. "Yeah. That too."

The front door slammed and they both looked up to see Jacob striding into the kitchen. Sarah opened the cabinet to grab another bowl as she spoke. "We figured you'd be staying with Leah…"

Jacob interrupted tersely. "It's Charlie, Mom. He's been shot." Billy caught the bowl as it slipped from Sarah's fingers.

Sarah's hand went to her mouth. "Oh god, Jacob, what can I do? Is he…" She couldn't finish the sentence. Sue Clearwater was her best friend, and she and Charlie had been dating for some time now. In fact, Sue had been spending more and more time at Charlie's, leaving her house mainly in the care of her two kids.

Jacob's face was grim as he took his mother's hand in his. "He's in surgery, Mom. Sue was trying to reach Seth and Leah all afternoon. There was a note on the table, and they're headed over to the hospital. That's all I know right now."

"I have to go, guys. I'll call when I get there."

"You okay to drive, Mom? I can take you." Jacob frowned and watched his mother carefully.

"I'm fine, Jake. I just need to be there for Sue, you know? I'll let you know how Charlie's doing as soon as I find out anything."

Leah and Seth were huddled with Bella in the waiting room. "Where's your mom?" Sue asked Leah.

Leah gestured toward the ladies' room just as the door swung open and Sue emerged, drying her hands on her jeans. "Oh. Sarah. You didn't have to…" She didn't finish the sentence but fell on her friend, hugging her fiercely. "Thanks," she muttered instead.

Sarah led Sue to a plastic couch and sat next to her, taking her hands. "Tell me what happened, Sue."

Sue dabbed at her eyes with a mutilated tissue. "It was a robbery. The bullet...it just missed his heart. He's been in there a long time, Sarah." She continued in a whisper. "He can't die. He just can't."

Sarah slipped her arm around Sue's shoulders. "The surgeon will do his best, Sarah. Charlie's strong, and he's a fighter." She wished she were as confident as she tried to sound.

The evening was endless. They drank cup after cup of foul coffee-machine brew, talked in whispers, and paced. Finally, an exhausted looking doctor approached the group. "Mrs. Clearwater?" he asked, looking from one to another. Sue stepped forward, gripping Seth's hand for support.

"We think he'll be okay. The bullet was lodged very near his heart, and we nearly lost him twice. But the worst is over, and he's asking for you. Don't tire him, though - only a few minutes, and then he needs some sleep. Follow me."

Sue motioned to Bella and took her hand, and the two of them followed the doctor through the double doors into the surgical suite. Sue quickly scanned the gauges and dials surrounding Charlie, and she squeezed Bella's hand to reassure her. He opened his eyes when they approached his bed..

"Don't try to talk, Charlie," Sue whispered, her voice unsteady. She touched his face tenderly. "We're all here, and the doc says you'll be just fine." She put on what she hoped was a convincing smile. "I love you." She was blinking hard, determined to be brave. Bella had lost the battle, and she was sobbing quietly as she clutched her father's hand.

Sarah ran across the porch, threw open the front door. "Billy!"

"Shower, babe - five minutes!" His voice was muffled by distance and the sound of running water.

She pounded up the stairs, wrenching the bathroom door open. She didn't pause to undress but slipped into the shower stall and threw her arms around him. His strong arms closed around her and he pulled her to his chest. "I needed you, Billy. To hold me."

He smiled and murmured against her hair while the water soaked through her clothes, "It's only a shower, honey."

She sighed, her shoulders relaxing now. "I couldn't wait."

Billy helped Sarah strip off her sodden clothes as they stood under the steaming, pounding spray. The combination of the hot water and his natural warmth soothed out the tension in her muscles. They dried each other with large, fluffy towels, and without a word they tumbled onto their king size bed and made love. It was the frantic kind of sex - leaving them breathless, their lips swollen from urgent kisses, their bodies bruised from hurried, frenzied coupling, their hearts too full for mere words.

Afterward, Sarah was the first to speak. She touched Billy's lips with her fingertip as she lay on her side, studying his face. "I love you, Billy Black. I always will."

He looked into her eyes. "I love you too, Sarah. Is Charlie going to be okay?"

She nodded before laying her head on his chest. Exhausted, comforted by the steady beating of his heart, she fell asleep almost immediately. It took him a little longer as he lay still, stroking her hair. He pulled a sheet over their naked bodies and wondered how he would handle being in Sue's place. He hoped never to find out.

Charlie was in the hospital for a week. Sue went over every day and gave Leah a hand with cooking, cleaning, and laundry. Sue spent every waking moment at the hospital, but Charlie insisted that she go home to sleep.

Bearing a warm apple pie, Sue tapped on Sarah's back door and poked her head in. "You busy, my friend?"

Sarah met her with a hug and inhaled deeply. "Mmmm...you always did make the best apple pies on the rez. Come on - can you stay for coffee?"

"Sure." She took a seat at the kitchen table. "Charlie's settled in his recliner with Bella waiting on him hand and foot. He's just so happy to be home. How can I thank you…" Her voice broke.

"Don't be silly. What are friends for? I was glad to be able to help in some small way, Sue." Sarah poured them each a cup of coffee and sat across from her friend. "It must be great…"

She never finished the sentence. Sue was seated facing the back door, and she gasped as it swung open and Billy stomped in, naked as a jaybird. "Sarah, I….oh shit." Sue was too shocked even to cover her eyes, and she stared for a long moment before jumping up and hiding her face in the corner while Billy edged quickly past her and up the stairs.


End file.
